1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic checklist system for use in a vehicle, preferably an aircraft.
2. Related Art
During flight operation, pilots follow standard procedures to check aircraft operational status and to control aircraft operations. Such procedures are combined together in the form of a checklist. A checklist is simply a collection of line items that defines the procedure for the pilot to verify the aircraft status and to manage aircraft systems for safe operation.
Paper checklists were used in the past, but today electronic checklist systems have been developed that can augment or replace paper checklists. These systems reduce flight crew workload by visually providing information. required during execution of checklist procedures. These systems display checklists on a display in the cockpit, such as a CRT or an LCD.
Typically, checklists are organized so as to logically follow pre-designed (i.e., predetermined) flight procedures. There are two main types of checklists, xe2x80x9cnormalxe2x80x9d checklists and xe2x80x9cabnormalxe2x80x9d checklists. For example, xe2x80x9cnormalxe2x80x9d checklists generally track the flow of events in preparing the aircraft for flight, flying, and then shutting down after a flight. Thus, normal checklists typically include xe2x80x9cBefore Engine Startxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cStarting Enginesxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cAfter Startxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cTaxixe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cLine Upxe2x80x9d, and xe2x80x9cClimbxe2x80x9d checklists, for example. On the other hand, xe2x80x9cabnormalxe2x80x9d checklists are usually grouped by the major aircraft subsystems, and thus typically include, for example, xe2x80x9cFuelxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cHydraulicsxe2x80x9d, and xe2x80x9cEnginexe2x80x9d checklists, etc.
Each checklist includes one or more checklist line item. A checklist line item typically defines a single step or task to be carried out by the user (e.g., the pilot). Generally speaking, there are two main types of checklist line items. The first main type is a step or task requiring verification of aircraft status. In other words, aircraft status information must be retrieved and monitored to determine if a condition has been satisfied. Examples include checking the altitude, the differential pressure, the cabin temperature, etc., typically comparing the checked values against predetermined standards (e.g., checking to see if the altitude is below 5000 feet).
The second main type of checklist line item is a step or task requiring management of aircraft systems for safe operation (i.e., to perform aircraft control operations). Examples include lowering the landing gear, turning on the cabin lights, closing a valve, shutting off an engine, pressurizing the cabin, etc. Typically, the user moves from checklist line item to checklist line item (and from checklist to checklist) using a cursor control device (CCD) such as a trackball to direct the cursor. After the user performs the task for a checklist line item, the user xe2x80x9cchecks offxe2x80x9d the item to indicate its completion or satisfaction. To do so, the user typically manually inputs to direct the check off (e.g., the user presses an enter button on the CCD). Alternatively, the electronic checklist system may automatically check off a checklist item in accordance with automatic detection of aircraft status information (e.g., the system detects actuation of a switch that controls the landing gear, and in response to the detection automatically checks off a checklist item). Checklist line items using the former approach are referred to as xe2x80x9copen loopxe2x80x9d items because they require manual input from the pilot to check off the item, while items using the latter approach are referred to as xe2x80x9cclosed loopxe2x80x9d items because the condition precedent to the check off is automatically sensed.
As discussed above, checklists (both paper and electronic) require the user to refer to aircraft status information and/or to perform aircraft control operations, as discussed above. Providing advanced integration between an electronic checklist system on one hand, and an aircraft status information and/or aircraft control operation system on the other hand, that would reduce the user""s workload became our goalxe2x80x94a goal that had not been satisfied by previous electronic checklist systems.
In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to overcome the drawbacks noted above and to provide an improved electronic checklist system and method for use in a vehicle (e.g., aircraft), preferably one that reduces the user""s workload during checklist execution by providing advanced integration between the electronic checklist system and aircraft status information and/or aircraft control operation systems.
In view of the foregoing object, in one aspect, the present invention relates to an aircraft electronic checklist system comprising (a) aircraft electronic checklist display means for displaying on a display an aircraft checklist comprising one or more checklist line items; (b) hyperlink determining means for determining whether a checklist line item of the aircraft checklist has a hyperlink associated therewith; and (c) hyperlink indication display means for displaying on the display an indication as to whether a checklist line item of the aircraft checklist has a hyperlink associated therewith in accordance with a determination by said hyperlink determining means.
In another aspect, the present invention relates to an aircraft electronic checklist system comprising (a) an aircraft electronic checklist display that displays a plurality of aircraft checklist line items; and (b) a processor that (i) changes a display on said aircraft electronic checklist display when a user places a cursor on an aircraft checklist line item having a hyperlink displayed on said aircraft electronic checklist display without the user clicking thereupon, and (ii) when a checklist function associated with the hyperlink has been completed, automatically returns the cursor to said aircraft electronic checklist display which displays the plurality of aircraft checklist line items.
In yet another aspect, the present invention relates to an apparatus comprising (a) a display upon which is displayable an aircraft checklist comprising one or more checklist line items each representing a procedure to be performed; and (b) a processor that is configured to (i) determine whether a checklist line item of the aircraft checklist has a hyperlink associated therewith and (ii) display an indication as to whether a checklist line item of the aircraft checklist has a hyperlink associated therewith in accordance with the determination.
In still another aspect, the present invention relates to an aircraft electronic checklist system comprising (a) aircraft electronic checklist display means for displaying on a display an aircraft checklist comprising one or more checklist line items, at least one checklist line item having a hyperlink associated therewith; (b) hyperlinked information display means for displaying information linked by the hyperlink of a checklist line item in response to activation of the hyperlink.
In a still further aspect, the present invention relates to an apparatus comprising (a) a display upon which is displayable an aircraft checklist comprising one or more checklist line items each representing a procedure to be performed and at least one of which has a hyperlink associated therewith; and (b) a processor that is configured to display information linked by the hyperlink of a checklist line item in response to activation of the hyperlink.
In yet another aspect, the present invention relates to an apparatus comprising (a) aircraft electronic checklist display means for displaying on a display an aircraft checklist comprising one or more checklist line items, said aircraft checklist having a hyperlink associated therewith; and (b) hyperlinked information display means for displaying information linked by the hyperlink in response to activation of the hyperlink.
In yet a still further aspect, the present invention relates to an aircraft electronic checklist system comprising (a) aircraft electronic checklist display means for displaying on a display an aircraft checklist comprising one or more checklist line items; and (b) cursor repositioning means for automatically moving a cursor from the display to another display in response to the cursor being placed on a checklist line item of the aircraft checklist that has repositioning information associated therewith, without requiring input from a user to command repositioning.
In another aspect, the present invention relates to an aircraft electronic checklist system comprising (a) aircraft electronic checklist display means for displaying on a display an aircraft checklist comprising one or more checklist line items; and (b) cursor repositioning means for automatically moving a cursor from the display to another display in response to a user accessing a checklist line item of the aircraft checklist that has repositioning information associated therewith without requiring input from a user to command repositioning.
In a still further aspect, the present invention relates to an apparatus comprising (a) a display upon which is displayable an aircraft checklist comprising one or more checklist line items each representing a procedure to be performed; and (b) an automatic cursor repositioner that is configured to (i) automatically reposition a cursor from a checklist line item of the aircraft checklist to a window of the display other than a window in which the aircraft checklist is displayed, in accordance with selection of the checklist line item when the checklist line item has cursor repositioning information associated therewith, and (ii) in response to a user effecting control of the aircraft using the repositioned cursor, automatically returning the cursor to the window in which the aircraft checklist is displayed.
In another aspect, the present invention relates to a method comprising (a) displaying an aircraft checklist comprising one or more checklist line items; (b) determining whether a checklist line item of the aircraft checklist has a hyperlink; and (c) displaying an indication as to whether a checklist line item of the aircraft checklist has a hyperlink in accordance with a decision in said determining step.
In yet another aspect, the present invention relates to a method comprising (a) displaying on a display an aircraft checklist comprising one or more checklist line items; and (b) automatically moving a cursor from the display to another display in response to the cursor being placed on a checklist line item of the aircraft checklist that has cursor repositioning information associated therewith, without requiring input from a user to command movement of the cursor.
In a still further aspect, the present invention relates to a method comprising (a) displaying on a display an aircraft checklist comprising one or more checklist line items, at least one checklist line item representing an aircraft control procedure required to be carried out by a pilot; (b) displaying on a display a controllable graphical user interface element usable by the pilot to effect the aircraft control procedure of the checklist line item; and (c) moving a cursor from the checklist line item representing the aircraft control procedure to the controllable graphical user interface element without requiring the pilot to manually move the cursor using a cursor control device.
In further aspects, the present invention relates to computer code for executing the above-discussed methods and for use in implementing the above-discussed systems and apparatuses.